American Metal Fab: Expertise and Advantages of Modern Welding

June 10, 2024

As detailed by NEIT in their article “What is Welding?”, welding goes far beyond simply joining metallic parts together. It is a highly skilled process that requires practical knowledge of physics, chemistry, and metallurgy. While often associated with metals, welding can also be used to fuse wood and thermoplastic parts.

Welding involves several fundamental principles:

It requires a high level of skill and knowledge in various scientific disciplines.
The process generally involves heating and cooling materials, primarily metals, to create a weld joint or weldment.
The materials being fused are known as the parent material, and the added material that helps form the weld joint is the filler material.
Shielding gases like carbon dioxide protect the weld from contamination, ensuring the integrity and strength of the weldment.

Different metals react differently to welding based on their physical, mechanical, and chemical properties. Heat can alter a metal’s strength, ductility, and malleability, and it can also be used to straighten warped pieces. The welding process must carefully manage heat to prevent weakening the metal due to reactions with oxygen.

The benefits of welding include creating permanent, durable welds, which are both economical and versatile. Welded joints are strong, long-lasting, and aesthetically pleasing. The method is efficient and can be performed both indoors and outdoors.

How does welding work?

Welding typically involves melting a part of the parent metal using a welding gun or torch to create a molten metal pool. This allows for the joining of new metal parts. Depending on the type and thickness of the material, pressure may also be used.

Metal Welding: Usually involves a combination of heat and pressure to quickly and efficiently fuse metals. Shielding gases protect the molten metal from contamination.
Plastic Welding: Involves preparing the surfaces, applying heat and pressure, and then cooling the materials.
Wood Welding: Uses pressure and heat generated by linear friction movement to join wooden parts.

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